Disappointed

[Greg P.]

Dustin has repeatedly said he didn't tell anyone about the SA, and repeatedly asked that we stop insinuating that they had to have known.

We at least owe him the respect of listening to him.

This is true, but Charles has said Pete told him about it. Others on the team have commented about how abusive the work environment was and Tyler has straight up said in his opinion Dreams enabled Pete to do what he did.

I think many here are finding it difficult to believe that the team didn't at least know Pete ran a horrible and abusive work environment even if they didn't know anything criminal was going on. And for many that's enough to want to no longer support Dreams as a company, and that sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

 

[DonMacGregor]

LOL. I will have you know that I was going to use the phrase "non-zero" and even typed it out. But in my last edit before posting, I deleted that line! All good!

Thanks for allowing me that small satisfaction.

 

[rmoxgt]

For anyone questioning how someone would not know they were drugged:
"One of the most disturbing effects of Rohypnol is that it can produce complete or partial amnesia (loss of memory) for the events that take place after it is ingested. (taken directly for a college PD's warnings on Date Rate Drugs)

we should give up

@GAN is trolling and uses the laughing emoji on my earnest posts.

 

[mousefan73]

For anyone questioning how someone would not know they were drugged:
"One of the most disturbing effects of Rohypnol is that it can produce complete or partial amnesia (loss of memory) for the events that take place after it is ingested. (taken directly for a college PD's warnings on Date Rate Drugs)

I think he was referring to the fact that a person not knowing they were drugged, and then all of a sudden knowing they were drugged. He’s not trolling I was also curious until someone clarified.

 

[DonMacGregor]

He just learned this week that he had been drugged years ago? I’m sorry …not to be insensitive, but how does that happen exactly?

Someone tells them, after the fact? You know, like people who find out at 50 that they were adopted and have siblings they never knew existed? That's sorta the nature of being drugged, you need someone else to tell you it happened.

 

[Angel Ariel]

This is true, but Charles has said Pete told him about it. Others on the team have commented about how abusive the work environment was and Tyler has straight up said in his opinion Dreams enabled Pete to do what he did.

I think many here are finding it difficult to believe that the team didn't at least know Pete ran a horrible and abusive work environment even if they didn't know anything criminal was going on. And for many that's enough to want to no longer support Dreams as a company, and that sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

As I've said - I'm sure the team did know it was an abusive work environment. I would imagine many if not most of them are additional victims of that environment.

As for not wanting to support Dreams - absolutely totally reasonable. There needs to be accountability, absolutely. We also need to ensure that our own emotions don't result in possible additional victims being treated as enablers without evidence. There is a difference between John/Corey (co-owners) there compared to the staff who worked under them.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I think he was referring to the fact that a person not knowing they were drugged, and then all of a sudden knowing they were drugged. He’s not trolling I was also curious until someone clarified.

Dustin's post on the topic addresses this, which is why Dustin's words should be read before calling them into question.

 

[Evansvillegirl26]

Dustin’s words:
I’m still processing everything that has been revealed today. It’s been unfortunate timing with John’s statement on behalf of the company.

I will say there’s one thing that bothers me beyond everything. We keep squabbling amongst ourselves. We keep pointing blame to everyone else. We keep looking at excuses and accusations for everyone on the team.

While the nuance of inter company politics is very complicated, I want to redirect our focus. And I hope you’ll join me.

Can I make a bold statement? Pete Werner drugged and raped me. Let’s focus our anger on this man. He has resigned from all related positions of power he once held. But I can no longer tolerate his ability to escape this.

This man is the reason we’re having these conversations. If only for my sake, I beg you to redirect all anger, sadness, and hatred to this man.
Dustin

I feel like the internet hive mind/ lynch mob mentality of taking down the entire company and everyone who works there is not what the actual victim is wanting.

Posting this in this thread too.

 

[take36]

Also I think Disney should perhaps do it’s own investigation before continuing to allow them a media pass. I know it hurts current staff but it’s only fair that Disney do it’s due diligence to make sure that they aren’t aligned with a company that has enabled such disgusting behavior.

They wouldn’t need to go too far, they got one source working in thier office! And she already confirmed Disney is aware from almost the beginning when Dustin first posted. Pete W confirms that there are people on Josh’s staff that keeps him up to date on the Dis (and I’m sure other influences/vloggers) happenings and sentiment.

Only thing Disney is waiting on (right or wrong) is if the mainstream/traditional media picks up on it then they will pull access.

And I applaud for whoever is on the executive team (I think it’s Corey) that is allowing the thread to go on. What they should do to protect themselves and those media pass is to shut this technically “unofficial” and rumor thread down. Keep it off the algorithms as best as possible and let the only source be that other forum which has credibility issues at best and already has articles about them as a toxic place. There are some Twitter, instagram, fb pockets as well but they don’t have this type of traction and presentation.

Someone made the decision to let the victims speak up and allow us to chime in (good and bad) rather then solely focusing on the bottom line. I will give them credit for that and I thank them.

 

[OKW Lover]

I know that Jeff ( @OKW Lover ) and @WebmasterJackie and the rest of the team can back me up on all I've said above.

Well said Jess

 

[randumb0]

I dare John and Kathy to read this post, particularly the third and fourth paragraphs, and continue to aggressively condemn the people who are posting about these issues.

Where have they been condemning people?

 

[GAN]

i can’t understand why he thinks his passing thoughts are worthy of posts.

@GAN he was drugged in his alcoholic drink! he thought he was drunk! every single time!

read Dustin’s post yourself!

not to be insensitive but are you trolling? because you raise my blood pressure!

No …I just think some people are wayyyy too invested in all this. It seems most everyone has said their piece And the points are all well-taken. Am I disappointed -sure. Disgusted -absolutely. Feel for the victims -without question. But I couldn‘t care less what PW’s home looks like or what the value is, or the debt on his DVC. I believe in karma, so what will be will be. Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like criminal charges could be filed for the actions against DW so that’s out.

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

Sad to say I don’t find any of this surprising. I started listening roughly 10 years ago, and while I found everything enjoyable at first, it soon became clear that something was rotten in the state of Denmark. The first sign was the number of team members (usually male) who appeared and then disappeared just as quickly. Then it was the weekly “Pete Rants” that were celebrated by the masses. As time went on Pete became more and more of a megalomaniac, clearly believing that he was a true celebrity, and that he alone was influencing the biggest entertainment company in the world. I remember a time when he was discussing a GKTW fundraiser where he stated “I raised all this money,” he quickly backpedaled and changed the I to a we but it was obvious what he believed in his twisted mind. I stopped listening during Covid as it just turned into the weekly Pete negativity show.l, and it became apparent that he really wasn’t all that knowledgeable to begin with. As I’ve started to listen again since his departure, which in true narcissistic fashion he wanted everyone to believe he was acting for the greater good, the show has become enjoyable again. I truly hope the team did not know what was going on and that those hurt are able to heal after exposing the truth, Dustin and Sean your bravery is admirable. The only one who should suffer is Pete.

I met Pete (and Charles & Jackie) in February 2019 in the WL lobby. Pete was there to tour a WL DVC unit. We all chatted a bit and I said to Pete "This is like meeting a movie star" (gosh I feel so dumb for admitting that). He looked me right in the eye and said "I know". I laughed because I thought he was joking. Now I know he wasn't. Megalomaniac is a good term to describe him.

 

[wilkeliza]

Just shinning a light on the "how did no one know" situation. I am from a very close nit family. My father abused me for literal years. Started from my earliest memories around preschool age all the way until I was 20 and escaped him by moving states away and going no contact. 12 years after the last contact I had with him (there had been 2 times at my brother's wedding and then in passing at my brother's house in that time span, that I saw him but did not associate with him) a case was brought forward through an anonymous tip for the abuse and he successfully was put behind bars to pay for his crime. It was less than he should have gotten but my half sister and I agreed some jail with no trial was better than facing trial.

The growing consensus outside of "outcry witnesses" so people my sister or I told directly was "We knew he was a jerk but we didn't know he was capable of that." This is family, friends, people he worked with, etc. Some of course are saying this to protect themselves from admission of their own crimes, while others genuinely thought he was just a struggling single father. A lot of the case was establish the details we gave for the non-SA portions of our childhood or events that surrounded an SA but not the act itself. They basically had to show my sister and I were honest enough to believe the rest of our experiences.

Also it is not uncommon for SA victims to not have the full details. Many victims especially what Dustin has described will repress memories in order to survive after the fact. The years of intense specialized therapy and support it take to recover and gain control over your mind after something like that is a lot. Each person is different but I tell people I'll always have my trauma, my C-PTSD, but thanks to 10 years of therapy, the most intense being EMDR and Brain Spotting during the 2 year criminal case experience, I have tools to help me gain control over my life and be able to live it again to the fullest but ever so often I need to go back in for a tune up and to address the stuff that comes up with no rhyme or reason.

So yes I fully agree that unless Pete, Dustin, or Sean told anyone directly what had happened it is 100% they all know Pete was not the best to work for and was toxic but had no clue he was SAing his partners.

 

[JimmyV_2.0]

Where have they been condemning people?

Here:
"For those on these boards who have decided it is OK to be mean, nasty and threatening to Kevin and myself I must say I am totally and completely appalled. We have always been nice, friendly and respectful to everyone we have met. The vitriol and hatred coming our way is uncalled for and disturbing. Just because my response wasn’t fast enough for some people you have decided that it’s appropriate to hide behind an anonymous screen name and post whatever you like. You have created false narratives and fabricated stories without knowing the first thing about us."

 

[JELLYROLLS4LIFE]

So I've been chatting with Pete Scheidle (who was discussed earlier in this thread and was on the DVC show for a little while). I've been trying to get him to come on and post. He said he's been following along with news but he doesn't really want to come back to the boards. I asked him if I could share this that he wrote to me:

"I just don't feel comfortable going back on there. My conflicts with Pete W were not of a severity of what's coming out from his employees, though he did treat me badly. But the part that really hurt me is he and the moderators actively worked to not just ban me from using the site but wipe me from existence there. I had made a lot of friends on the DISboards from 2007-2019 and was cut off, and it really hurt at the time. I know some folks have come back with accounts recently but I just don't see coming back and feeling like the Sword of Damocles is hanging over me waiting to fall. I have found a new Disney/DVC family and my focus is there."

I will say he's not hard to find. His website is also banned here so I won't try to mention that, but if you google Peter Scheidle you'll find where he podcasts and also his site. I know from talking to him, the dude only ever really wanted to help the community and wasn't in it for payday. From what he told me, He was never paid by the DIS and never asked to be.

 

[Evansvillegirl26]

Just shinning a light on the "how did no one know" situation. I am from a very close nit family. My father abused me for literal years. Started from my earliest memories around preschool age all the way until I was 20 and escaped him by moving states away and going no contact. 12 years after the last contact I had with him (there had been 2 times at my brother's wedding and then in passing at my brother's house in that time span, that I saw him but did not associate with him) a case was brought forward through an anonymous tip for the abuse and he successfully was put behind bars to pay for his crime. It was less than he should have gotten but my half sister and I agreed some jail with no trail was better than facing trial.

The growing consensus outside of "outcry witnesses" so people my sister or I told directly was "We knew he was a jerk but we didn't know he was capable of that." This is family, friends, people he worked with, etc. Some of course are saying this to protect themselves from admission of their own crimes, while others genuinely thought he was just a struggling single father. A lot of the case was establish the details we gave for the non-SA portions of our childhood or events that surrounded an SA but not the act itself. They basically had to show my sister and I were honest enough to believe the rest of our experiences.

Also it is not uncommon for SA victims to not have the full details. Many victims especially what Dustin has described will repress memories in order to survive after the fact. The years of intense specialized therapy and support it take to recover and gain control over your mind after something like that is a lot. Each person is different but I tell people I'll always have my trauma, my C-PTSD, but thanks to 10 years of therapy, the most intense being EMDR and Brain Spotting during the 2 year criminal case experience, I have tools to help me gain control over my life and be able to live it again to the fullest but ever so often I need to go back in for a tune up and to address the stuff that comes up with no rhyme or reason.

So yes I fully agree that unless Pete, Dustin, or Sean told anyone directly what had happened it is 100% they all know Pete was not the best to work for and was toxic but had no clue he was SAing his partners.

Dustin is literally begging people to redirect their anger to Pete.
Sadly, once the the internet hive mind/ mob mentality take over, people only want it all to burn.

I very sorry for all that happened to you.

 

[JELLYROLLS4LIFE]

Here:
"For those on these boards who have decided it is OK to be mean, nasty and threatening to Kevin and myself I must say I am totally and completely appalled. We have always been nice, friendly and respectful to everyone we have met. The vitriol and hatred coming our way is uncalled for and disturbing. Just because my response wasn’t fast enough for some people you have decided that it’s appropriate to hide behind an anonymous screen name and post whatever you like. You have created false narratives and fabricated stories without knowing the first thing about us."

I do sort of feel for John and the team. I'm sure they knew that Pete was a jerk of a boss, but I really want to give them the benefit of the doubt that if they knew the full extent that they wouldn't have just looked the other way. No one actually involved with things - including Dustin and Shawn - have accused them of this. Speculation fine - saying
"they should have known" but out-and-out anger and hatred towards them is IMO unfair.

 

[JimmyV_2.0]

I do sort of feel for John and the team. I'm sure they knew that Pete was a jerk of a boss, but I really want to give them the benefit of the doubt that if they knew the full extent that they wouldn't have just looked the other way. No one actually involved with things - including Dustin and Shawn - have accused them of this. Speculation fine - saying
"they should have known" but out-and-out anger and hatred towards them is IMO unfair.

Don't disagree with any of that. But his first "Official Statement" was not the place to go on the attack. The negative reaction that the people on this Board had to his inclusion of this paragraph was easily predicted and just as easily avoided. There is a time and place for that. Post #1 in his newly created thread was not that place.

 

[mefordis]

IMO: I think if the team wants to keep going, they are going to have to rebrand across the board, even change the name of the business. There is just too much bad history here.